On drums...

I have a question for You, my friends:
- Does Your country return VAT at some point?!?

Back here, our government does it only for the companies (not for the people). So, we pay VAT on everything - and don't get a refund...
And even companies wait more than a year for a tax return...


What's the situation in a normal world?!?

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Goki - short from Goran

Let the good drums roll!!!

Hi Goki,
In all of my global transactions, I've never paid a value added tax, or customs fees. I do believe that paid customs fees can be used to reduce the tax bill here in the US.
This is why I always mark your boxes as gifts...

Cheers,
Brian

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Drums and No Money will get Me through Hard Times better than Money and No Drums!
-A Recovering Drum Addict

Brian - even if You mark a box as a gift, You have to declare a value. And if the customs officer here thinks that value is too small, by law he has the right to declare his own estimate value and tax the recipient accordingly.

I was asking about the VAT when purchasing, for example, technical goods, or a car, or stuff besides food. Does this VAT get returned to You, since by definition it is a value added tax and it needs to be returned. As customers, we pay 5% or 18% VAT on every product, but we never get our money back...

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Goki - short from Goran

Let the good drums roll!!!

No VAT payed here, Goki, so I am not very familiar with the topic. However, given the current deficit that is being run up, there is considerable speculation that VAT will be implemented. As such, I think we can look forward to the fact that it will be a tax that goes to feed state coffers, and not something that will be returned to the population, except in services. Whether those services are useful is another question.

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Gregory